Chaos Theory
by PatraGem
Summary: The Velvet Room is different, Igor is gone, and someone named Elizabeth has a request for a man known to change both fates and hearts.
1. Potential

A/N:

If anyone is interested in plot origin stories: I was re-playing Persona 5 and ranking through the Fortune confidant, which (spoiler?) is mostly about how no one's fate is sealed. In fact, I found one of the major themes of P5 to be exactly that, which is counter to a specific instance in P3.

Spoilers for P3, P4 and P5 eventually and most likely below. I've only played FES, Golden, and Vanilla P5 so ignoring most of Arena and anything that could be different in P3P or Royal. Also, I've tried to be upfront with most pairings, so if it isn't, your cup of tea you're not waiting for the ball to drop (FFN only allows 4 character tags D:), but, unlike this first chapter, this is a action/adventure fic at its core.

* * *

**March 20, 2017**

They are alone, and he has no idea how this girl had managed it, but he is ecstatic she did.

"So, this is it?" She leans on his bedroom door, slamming it shut with a gentle push from her backside. The hard metal _clicks _and the light laughter and arguing from the halls has gone quiet. He watches her for what must be the billionth time. She's a curious person, and he devours that curiosity, longs for the way her dark pupils grow and shrink against pale, ice blue. She does a lap, fingers running against the wooden desk, the dresser, the black bookcase. "Funny. I think I like the attic more."

"Ouch." He leans back a bit to grab a pillow to toss at the blonde. She isn't paying attention, and the flannel-covered object hits her dead on. It'd be a lie to say he isn't proud of his aim, and even as she approaches him, red-faced, yellow flyaways crowning her in some sort of manic glow, he regrets _nothing_ about any of this. "What about the bed?"

She's kneeling on it and over him. Her twintails dangle between his cheeks, and he internally curses that she decides to wear so many layers. "It's bigger."

"Yes."

"Do I like that?"

"Bigger is…"

"Do you want to finish that?" She raises an eyebrow and sticks out her tongue. "Kidding, Ren. Kidding! Jeez! Ah!"

He's not listening to her anymore and pushes her over, grabbing her wrists to hold them up and over her head. The pillow that should be under her is forgotten on the floor, and she is completely flat. Her chest is rising up and down from under him, and she is so beautiful and happy, and _fuck_, he hates this. "Do famous models do small gigs ever?"

She bites her bottom lip. "How small?"

"Like your charming-leader's-hometown small?"

She says nothing but kisses him, and it is too light and short and nothing like the playfulness they held before. "Do exonerated straight-A students do university in Tokyo?"

"How exonerated?" He regrets his question, of the heaviness that this topic inevitably brings, and he opts to ignore it completely and touch her instead. She is soft. Almost velvet. He can feel the slight hairs on her lower arm as he traces to her elbow under her bomber jacket's sleeve. His grip from her other hand falls down to her hair and then neck, and soon he is pushed away and off so that they cannot touch at all.

Her voice is timid. "You'll get in."

"I'm starting cram school in three months."

"You _have _to."

"No extracurriculars. No consistent school record. Who do I even ask for recommendations, Ann?"

"And even if you don't…" She's not listening, though to be fair he is only listening enough to know what to block out. "I love you." He turns at that, but she is staring at his ceiling fan, eyes heavy and glassy. "That's still true when you're not in Tokyo."

It's too much to not to, so he reaches and takes her hand. "This makes things awkward."

"Huh?"

"My cram school is in Tokyo."

She's on him again, all force and warmth, and he swears Hecate must be out or this girl is simply _angry. "_Amamiya, you are the _worst _secret boyfriend a girl could have!"

He kisses her on the nose. "I love you too."

.

* * *

.

"No! Say it ain't so! You did _not_!" Rise's face falls, hands flat on the table, and Yu cannot do anything but stare blankly.

This is, maybe, the complete opposite reaction than he expected. He's nervous to press on, to offer anything to help her feel better because it was his impression that she should _feel great_ about this. Had he been a complete idiot for the past five years?

"I mean…" She pokes at her silky tofu. It's nowhere near as good as Marukyu, but he does not need to tell her that. Her sunglasses slide a bit down her nose, but she flicks it easily with the grace of a true professional. "You guys were wedding material."

"You mean marriage material?"

"Do I?" She stiffens before laughing. "No. I don't think so. But definitely _wedding_. It would be gorgeous. Very classic and elegant. Yukiko was always—it wasn't because of Chie, was it?"

He practically spat out his tea. "Excuse me?"

"They always seemed super close." The woman took a big bite of her tofu and pushed back a tuft of red-brown hair behind her kerchief. "But then again, I was shipping Chie and Yosuke _forever_."

"Rise, you'd have all of us paired off with each other."

"Four out of eight isn't bad. Oh, but I guess we're down to two." Her lips purse, and though it's hard to tell under the big sunglasses and head covering, he can tell that she is thoughtful. Shoulders sagging, she reaches across the café's table and touches his hand, her long nails digging slightly into his skin. "They're still calloused."

He swallows. "I still train, you know. Have to."

"Still have glasses too? It's been five years, Yu."

"You don't have them?"

"Well the glasses were my _whole _ability." She sinks back, breaking their contact and making his headspace just that clearer. "Of course, I have them. I'm kidding about all that. Five years isn't that long to forget."

"No, it's not."

"Or lose contact with good friends."

He feels the smile grow on his face. There was always something so _easy _about this girl. "I agree."

"Or be so completely out of the loop that you don't know that two of your teammates broke up _three years ago._" She slides the frames down so he gets a hint of her light brown eyes. "You don't need sympathy to get a coffee date with me, _Senpai_."

He's frozen. Shocked. Yukiko and he had agreed to quietly part ways when she stayed to run the Amagi Inn and it was clear he wasn't leaving Tokyo. Of course, Yosuke knew. And there was no way Yukiko wouldn't tell Chie, but…"I can explain. Rise…"

"I paired _us_ by the way. In every scenario." She's flushed with happiness, excitement, and of, he's sure, laughter of what must be the dumbstruck look on his face. "Amagi-senpai can have Teddie."

.

* * *

.

"You have a meeting at 2:30PM with the producer of that romantic comedy you auditioned for three weeks ago."

Yukari Takeba rubs harshly at her eyes, teeth loosening on the pen cap she was chewing on as she scribbles. "What about my meeting with Niishi? I have some comments for the new Featherman…"

"Pushed to Thursday."

Her head is killing her. She drops an AlphaSeltza into the glass of newly poured water. "Okay. So then the Okumura meeting…"

"Tomorrow at 12PM."

"Satoshi, I hope you mean cancelled." She waves off the waitress for what must have been the fifth time in two minutes. Yes, she is nursing this cup of coffee until it kills her, but she'll order food soon. She flashes a smile that she hopes communicates this promise. The café is more crowded than normal, and she fidgets through her purse while cradling her cellphone between her chin and neck. "I'm not doing the commercial."

"Takeba-san, it's polite to at least hear the offer."

"Fine. Okay." The pain is worse now, the pressure seeming to permeate from her temples down her neck until she practically feels it in her bones. And then there is something different. Some sort of, not relief but insane comfort. Some familiarity that rings through her and drags her completely away from her phone call. It's distracting and, in a way, emotionally gut-wrenching, and she lowers the phone completely to look.

She can feel it. Feel _him_ and it is overwhelming every part of her. She stands hurriedly, drawing the crowded café's attention, and then there are whispers about what she is doing and, worse, who she is, but there is no part of her that can even begin to prioritize that.

This café is small, and blue hair should stand out. And she looks again and again and again because she knows it is him, but _where the hell is he?_

She knocks into white-wired chairs as she looks. That feeling of...of weird power is getting stronger and stronger, and it is bizarrely eclipsing but still duller than she expects. It is him and not him, and as she stares at the couple, she's flushed with embarrassment and stranger's coffee spilled on her pink sweater. "Oh, um, sorry."

"It's okay. This happens all the time." The girl in sunglasses answers. Her smile is weak, vacant, and familiar. "What do you want me to sign?"

"You should ask for a trade." Her silver-haired boyfriend responds, and there is nothing about his face that is weak. Everything is potent and sharp edges, and she almost looks away.

"Huh?" The obviously disguised girl glances between the two of them. "Do you two know each other?"

They don't. They really don't. It's the energy that is similar, but now that she's here, it's still different from him. "No, no. I'm sorry. I confused you with someone else."

"Wait, him? You came here to speak to_ him_?"

The man chuckled. "Sorry to steal your thunder, Rise."

"What is mine, is yours." The strength is back, and the girl named Rise removes the sunglasses from her face. She's pretty, but other than that, unfamiliar. "I think I know you. Yukari Takeba?"

"Yes. Um, sorry. Have we met? I can…I can still sign something for you. My pen…" She reaches for the purse that isn't there. In fact, all of her belongings are tables away. Her eyes refocus. The whispers are louder, the crowd more aggressive. "Sorry I was actually on a call."

"I'll get Yu one another time. I'm sure our paths will intersect. Rise Kujikawa." Rise holds out her hand, and the full name clicks. Yukari would have normally calmed with the kinship that is celebrity, but her mind is already on overdrive, too overtly concentrated on the innate, immense power humming around them all.

_Yu…_ She must be staring. There are coughs behind her—probably fans—and it takes everything in her to nod and turn back to her table. She shakes her head politely to the fans asking for photos and gathers her things. _He's gone. He's gone._

She had accepted that, hadn't she? Maybe. Yes. She accepted his death—all death—but acceptance didn't take away emptiness, did it?

_Seven years, Yuka-tan. _

There's a tug on her sleeve and Rise is standing, holding out a pre-printed card with bold, large western script. "This way you'll owe me one." She winks and sits backs down, and Yukari slips the autograph in her purse, eyes still on Yu.

Words aren't easy, and she bows slightly before rushing back out, sweeping on her own pair of sunglasses and a white bucket hat to hide her appearance on the street. There's a taxi outside and she takes it immediately, rolling down the window to try and cool the sudden heat. Her hands slip over her phone. There's hesitation there and worry, but she needs to know, and she is the only one who will care about this just as much.

**_Yukari:_**_ What if there are others like him? …Like you?_

She doesn't have to explain anything more. It is only seconds before there is a reply, clear and pointed.

**_Aigis:_**_ Please make no plans today._

.

* * *

.

The drive back to Tokyo is…silent. She is incredibly unsettled, anxious and dying for someone to talk about _something_ so she can stop thinking about the boy who is kilometers and kilometers farther than she would like. _My nails are uneven. _She taps them against the glass lightly. Makoto glances back from the driver's seat. The sudden noise probably shocks her.

"I had…fun today."

Ann's even, low voice wakes the whole car. Futaba is suddenly reminded that she is _Futaba_ and flips out a laptop. "I left a camera in his room. I can hack into it right…"

"Do not do that." Queen's voice is icy. "Disable it."

"But how else do we…"

"I don't know Futaba, maybe a somewhat normal way like…._video chat?"_ Ryuji turns from the passenger seat to give Futaba a proper stare. "Let the dude do his thing."

Her stomach became unsettled. Ann looks to the backseat. Futaba is hesitantly typing. Yusuke is leaning on the window, asleep. The hermit meets her stare. "May I help you?"

Probably. No. It's risky to ask here, but Ann swallows down her hesitation. "How much of Leblanc did you actually bug?"

"Enough."

"Enough?"

"Yes." She pushes the laptop close. Their eye contact is dangerous, and the blonde curses herself for being so naïve. "Want to explain why you're asking?"

"I'm assuming that all of our conversations are deeply encrypted," Makoto interrupts. "The Phantom Thieves are still vigilantes. My sister says there is a small task force still trying to identify us."

Ryuji's gulp is audible. "Eh…how small?"

"Understaffed. I wouldn't worry about it."

"There's still suspicion that we murdered my father. The true culprit is…hard to identify." Haru folds her hands politely.

"That reminds me. There is also a team looking for Akechi."

"Fuck." Ryuji pounds the dashboard, making the whole van jump and waking the artist in the back row. "Fuck, Akechi."

"He was a famous detective." Makoto is, without fault, logical. "His sudden disappearance from the public eye is entirely too suspicious."

Ryuji scowls. "How do we drop a tip, Makoto? I'm thinking anonymous tipper explains that fake detective kills self."

Silence again. No one knows how to feel about Goro Akechi.

Ann's own viewpoint rocks between _he deserved it _to _how could we have saved him_ way too frequently. It is sad. That is the conclusion she allows to be her constant. It is sad that someone died before they could be better.

"Well, you are at least moderately accurate." Yusuke yawns before slipping back into sleep once more.

There are multiple missed calls from her agent when Ann finally gets back to her parents' apartment. It is empty—her parents are back in Europe running a show—and feels colder than normal. The air conditioner was left on and it's a chilling 15 degrees. Ann fumbles to her room and slips under the covers of her bed. She reflexively reaches for her phone and deliberately does not call her agent. "Futaba knows."

"Of course, she does." Ren's voice is hurried. She hears him rushing away from what she assumes is the kitchen, the clamor of pots and pans banging in the background. She pulls the phone away from her face and sees that it's only 7. "Though I made sure there are gaps in her feed for certain…moments."

"Ren, you should have told me."

"You would be worried."

"But now I'm mad _and _worried."

"Don't be," he says it simply, fully, in that convincing way that almost verges on Marin Karin. And she has to remind herself that Joker is a good leader, yes, but also a _great liar_.

"You're full of it."

"Hm?"

"You're the one that wanted to hide this." Ann huffs and she doesn't want to sound angry, but she does. She is emotionally worn and anxious, and damn, she just misses him_. _"Who exactly did you want to hide it from?"

"Ann…"

"I know Makoto had a crush on you. And Haru? Haru couldn't _be more_…"

"Ann, stop."

She did. She hates herself right now, hates being the jealous secret girlfriend, but what the fuck is a _secret girlfriend_ anyway? "I'm not sorry." She starts but realizes that also comes across too angry when really she is just hurt. "I just…I just…"

"I know they did. It was implied a lot, and I made sure we were just friends."

"But you and me…"

"You implied…" He hesitates. She can hear him slunk down, his tone going soft and almost shy. "You implied not a lot." He laughs. "I was scared shitless on that roof."

"You seemed so confident."

"Didn't I?" Another laugh. "I'm freaking out too. I don't know how to do this well. I'm open to suggestions."

She pauses and pushes the comforter down from her body, suddenly warm. Her number one suggestion would be _Stay at Shujin_ but that's not possible. "We can talk a lot. Like this. I love talking to you. Even when I'm angry."

"Are you angry?"

"No," She admits. "I'm frustrated."

"I am too. Anything else?"

"We can tell everyone." She breathes hard. The pause is longer than she would like, and she finds herself sliding up to lean on her headboard. "I mean, before Futaba does."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"When I'm back. I'd like to do it in person. What's your week looking like?"

Their conversation veers back into normalcy—into light-hearted jokes and Ann's tempered excitement bouncing off Ren's solid wall of interest and damn good listening skills. She talks about her upcoming gigs and how she hadn't heard anything from that one acting audition, which was annoying, maybe, but the script wasn't really her thing anyway.

"Are you home alone?"

"Until the end of the month." She's used to it by now, but Ren sighs. He's concerned for her, and her chest flutters and warms from it. "Shiho's coming over next week. We're having a sleepover."

"Oh?"

"I've told her about you. I hope you don't mind."

"Only if she does."

Ann laughs and falls back on her pillow. Is this what having a boyfriend is like? "She likes you. She never thought you were a bad guy. You sound tired."

It's an understatement. Ren sounds beyond exhausted, and he tries to correct it. "I'm okay. Just making curry for my parents."

"And coffee?"

"They're more tea people, unfortunately. But I should…I should go."

She doesn't want him to. The distance feels larger somehow, now that she lays here alone. "Tell your parents I said hi. Oh, and Morgana too!"

"Of course."

"I love you, Ren."

"Love you too. I'll call you tomorrow?"

She nods before speaking, forgetting briefly that he was not next to her. Then there is sudden silence everywhere, and she feels anxious, alone. She plays the voicemail from her agent, and it's nothing she doesn't know already. Appointments. Meetings. She logs it all in her smartphone and then decides that she really deserves a bath.

.

* * *

.

There are scripts all over her coffee table. She starts to neatly pile them all, earmarking a few pages, and then falls on the coach. Her apartment is small—a studio in the heart of Chiyoda. The walls are practically bare. The built-in shelves, on the other hand, are piled high with books and knick-knacks. Picture frames of Port Island. Of Gekkoukan. Just landscapes and buildings—people would bring about too many questions.

Her phone buzzes and she doesn't even start to check it. She gets up from the couch, unlocks the door, and starts to pace as she just waits. And waits.

"Yukari-san?" The door to her apartment is pushed open slightly and then she is rushed by a firm, strong hug. "It has been entirely too long since I have seen you! Look at you! I am always astonished how quickly living things grow in such small amounts of time." Aigis' grip is strong, maybe too strong, but Yukari tries to match it back equally. She is then pushed back by the robot, metal hands on her shoulders. "Your hair is shorter again?"

"Fits better under a helmet. How are you? How's Mitsuru?"

"She is well. I hesitated to tell her of your text message, however."

That was probably for the best. This could be nothing. She could be overreacting, misinterpreting all of this into something it isn't. Aigis doesn't say as much, but she is most always composed. She waits for Yukari to offer her a seat before sitting, patient.

She hasn't seen Aigis since their Gekkoukan five-year reunion, and even that was short-lived. Port Island was always hard for her, though she had tried and tried to make the last year something special or, at least, something that would lighten the incredible heartache that junior year had brought. And though senior year had its ups and downs—and her and Aigis _definitely_ had their ups and downs—she is ecstatic to see her good friend again. "The Kirijo Group?"

"We've had some simple missions here or there. Nothing that called for the full need of my abilities or really any Persona abilities to be honest with you. Simply anomalies."

"Anomalies?" She folds her hands on her laps. There was a part of her that ached to be involved again, but she thought the reminders would have been too strong. "…where?"

"A small town two hours and thirteen minutes away from here, and most recently here in Tokyo as well. Though none of it was similar to what we experienced at SEES. All anomaly readings had vanished before we could properly assess the situation."

Yukari sits beside the machine. Her tea had long gone cold, but she picks the mug up anyway and takes a sip. It's bitter, chilling, but she really needs something to keep her hands busy. "I suppose it's good that it was handled."

"It is."

"But not that…not good that you don't know what it is." She really should put on the electric kettle, but, no, no. She can see the anxiousness in Aigis' face, which is exactly what she expected. Her text was cryptic, purposely so. _Necessarily_ so since Yukari has no real, concrete way to describe it. "I don't know how to explain this to you."

"That is okay. Please do try."

It is strange, their relationship. Yukari used to think about it often, but all of this was pushed aside for so many years that thinking about it again is like a freight train. There was everything with Tartarus and Gekkoukan and Apathy Syndrome that bonded them and the rest of the Execution Squad, but they both know what their common ground is. "It wasn't Makoto."

Yukari breaths hard as she says it. She can't decide if she is upset or relieved by it, but it is true, and she anxiously looks to Aigis for her reaction. The machine blinks, voice uneven. "Then what led you to text message me?"

"It was _like _Makoto. It was just some stranger, Aigis, but I felt this…weird power from him."

"Power of the Wild Card?"

"Maybe." She shakes her head. "No, not maybe. Yes. It was that."

She is completely shocked to see that Aigis' face is not happy or excited or even curious. The machine, now better at displaying human emotions, looks stricken. The exact reaction has Yukari moving closer to grasp her hand. "Aigis? Aigis!"

"You are certain about this, Yukari-san?" Aigis stands with such speed and misdirection that she almost knocks over the coffee table. "You have 100% confirmation of his Wild Card capabilities?

Yukari sniffs. "Well of course I don't have _that_. I wasn't about to hand him a gun and ask him to shoot himself in the head at Chagall." Her snide tone fades seeing her friend still incredibly unsettled. "I'm not trying to…I know what you're thinking."

The look Aigis threw her is of clear disbelief. "How _could_ you?"

"I know back then I…I would do anything for him. I missed him more than anything. I still do. And yes, maybe I'm jumping at the very, very small chance that this could _mean something_. But I also think it's just weird, okay? I thought…" She leans back on the couch. Why was she still crying about this? "I thought you would understand."

"Yukari-san…" Aigis sits back down. The fear and utter distress on her face is gone, and she hugs her again. "Of course, I do. I loved him too."

Loved? That sounds strange to her. The tears are rampant, free flowing. She wonders briefly if it were possible for Aigis to short circuit but dismisses it quickly. Yukari wants to speak again, apologize, maybe, but she always wants to apologize to Aigis. Nothing can actually come out except for a wet groan that sounds more like snot than words. Aigis pushes her back, worried. "That is an abnormal sound you are producing."

"I…" She sounds like a frog. The perplexed look on Aigis' face causes Yukari to laugh, stopping the crying and snot for now. "I've missed you."

"Please ignore my reaction before. I was certain you did not know what I was thinking for it is unknown knowledge to all."

Yukari shifts back. "Unknown knowledge? What…what happened?"

The distraught appearance makes its way through Aigis' body. Though the machine could not breathe, Yukari can see Aigis' chest flatten. "I no longer have his abilities."


	2. Linkage

Naoto Shirogane hates Tokyo.

It was a slow, encroaching distaste, a crawling feeling of discontent and frustration that fully blossomed into hatred two weeks ago. She had been on a case for months now, and with no end in sight, her annoyance with her small apartment and coworkers and unorganized case files came to an ugly, large head. She ditches the station early—Rise and she are both suddenly free tonight, and the pop idol claims she has a _very special surprise_! Naoto does not like surprises, and she typically hates surprises from Rise even more.

But she's hungry and tired and, shockingly, could use a drink. Rise is usually up for at least some sort of clear alcohol.

She suggests a kaiseki restaurant but is immediately shot down and told to meet at an Italian restaurant instead. The change in venue is surprising. She has met with Rise once a week ever since she was placed on a case here, but the food is usually more traditional. Naoto finds it hard to complain, however, when the restaurant is walking distance from the police station.

_Perhaps it has to do with that surprise…_

She has never met any of Rise's boyfriends before, but all the emojis and misspellings make the detective suspicious. There is a deep, girlish part of Naoto that wants to text back _About time_, but the detective practically laughs at herself for even thinking of it. Instead her smartphone is littered with three missed calls, all from the same number. She calls him back immediately.

"Sorry for missing your call. Have you finished yet?"

He sighs deeply on the other side of the line. "Nah. That's why I'm calling ya. Think it'll be a few more days. It's a huge order and my sewing machine's busted."

She's even more irritated now, and her hatred for Tokyo suddenly multiplies. But that isn't what he needs to hear. Not at all. "I'm so sorry."

"Psh. I'm more sorry. It's been too long, Naoto. Miss you like hell."

The words are warm to her stomach and chest. She knows her face must look incredibly flushed. "I, uh, miss you too. I'm seeing Rise for dinner." She stops outside as she approaches the restaurant. There's a mist of rain starting, and Naoto tilts the brim of her hat partially down as she speaks. "I'll tell her you said hello again."

"And say we'll all catch up as soon as I get there!"

"Hmph. I will."

"Love you, Naoto."

"I love you too, Ka…"

"HI KANJI-KUN!"

The voice is sharp, high-pitched, and definitely her friend. Naoto releases the phone immediately and hands it off to the pop idol who had managed to surprise her in the now sudden rain.

Rise is happily giggling to a probably very confused Kanji, and then frowns as Naoto's boyfriend more than likely explains his delay to Tokyo.

"Wow, she's more excited to talk on the phone than see you."

"Well, we have been seeing each other pretty regularly, Yu…Yu?" Naoto turns to meet the familiar voice and quickly hugs the silver-haired man with the clear, wide-brimmed umbrella. His white coat is slightly wet, but she pays it no mind. "What a surprise! I inferred that Rise was going to bring a guest, but I had no idea it was you."

"Hm, really?" Rise hands back the locked smartphone. It seems she had wished Kanji goodbye for her. Great. "I thought the heart emojis would be a clue."

"I just thought it would be someone…new."

"New? No, never. Anyway, I thought we'd all check out this place. It's close to the Diet so I hear lots of rich politicians come here! Oh. Almost forgot." Rise takes out a blonde wig and a glasses case from her bag. "Hold this, Naoto?"

The detective obeys and watches as the singer ties her hair into a flat bun and flips the wig over her head. She takes the glasses back quickly, cradling them delicately. It takes Naoto a brief second to recognize them. "Are those your glasses for the TV World?"

"I mean, they work fine, don't they? How recognizable am I?"

"Didn't you make fun of me earlier for mentioning that?" Yu crosses his arms and flattens a flyaway piece of fake, blonde hair. The gesture does not go unnoticed by either Naoto or Rise. "And what's with the wig?"

"Oh! Got it from Teddie. I just don't want to be interrupted tonight. Especially after that weird coffee date we had."

Naoto blinks. "Coffee date?"

"We met up for coffee. I'm finally done with exams and Rise said she was in town."

Rise wrapped a finger around a fake strand. "I've been harassing him for…"

"Years?" Naoto offers.

"Maybe. Probably. Man, Yu. Am I that annoying about it?"

Naoto refrains from answering again. "Maybe we just go in and get a…"

"He's finally admitted to breaking up with Yukiko, Naoto. I think that leaves the door open."

The detective finds herself suddenly not hungry at all. In fact, she finds herself wanting to text Kanji and ask for some emergency call to drag her out of this situation. She looks at her former leader, and to a stranger, he would seem expressionless. The rain does nothing but make his already silver features even greyer, and the idol, for all her joking and flirting is now awkward at his silence.

_Interesting._

And though a part of her (the part that remembers Rise sending rather explicit text messages to Kanji two years ago) wants to watch the idol sweat, Naoto sighs before moving away from Yu and opening another door.

To the restaurant. Away from this conversation.

At the table, all of Rise's talk and banter are redirected to her and Kanji and, embarrassingly, how they are the epitome of marriage material (Naoto does not want to dig into why that makes Yu almost slip and cut himself with a butter knife). And it is now up to Naoto to carry the conversation of her teammates and friends forward from anything that could delve into Rise becoming suddenly shy and Yu becoming… well, Yu.

"How were the exams, Yu?"

"I think they went well. Ever think about going to the public side of crime fighting, Naoto?"

She smiles but shakes her head. "The line of Shirogane detectives is a legacy I must uphold, but I do not mind working with the public sector every now and then."

"Is it easier now that you are older?" Rise asks.

Naoto wishes. Sure, her hair is longer, her clothes better fitting, but she is still young and female in a more or less patriarchal society. That may be too heavy for this dinner though. "A little. To be honest, I bring much of my work back to my apartment."

"She won't spill any details about the case she's working on, and I can totally tell it's stressing her out." Rise pours out more of the bottle of white to each of them before refilling her own glass. "Maybe the Investigation Team can help?"

"I do have some time before I get my exam results." Yu's face is looser, lighter. They are quickly moving through their second bottle of wine, and Naoto is suddenly reminded of the time she found a "tipsy" Investigation Team in a seedy Club Escapade. "If you could use the help, I could use the internship."

That actually isn't a terrible idea. "I'll have to run it by the team, but we need extra hands. We're stretched pretty thinly, and to be quite honest, the case has lost priority since falling out of the public eye."

Yu flipped his bangs back a bit. "So, it was in the public eye?"

"Oh! I knew it! I knew it! It's about that vigilante group, isn't it? A-ha! I called it." Her shyness fades for a moment, and Rise touches Yu's arm. "Have you heard of them? The Phantom Thieves?"

"Rise…" Naoto is too late to stop her friends.

Yu frowns. "The ones who…steal hearts?"

"Bingo. Isn't that completely ridiculous? What a weird concept, right?"

Yu nods in agreement, eyes dashing back and forth from the hand on his arm to the now blonde idol. "It is."

"Mhm, but you know what else is a weird concept?"

"Rise…" Naoto almost begs.

"Personas."

Yu's grey pupils start to dilate. Naoto, tired of shooting down her friend every time she had tried to bring it up, allows Rise to finish her thought. Maybe that will get her to stop.

Rise is ecstatic that she has the floor and that their pasta and a new bottle of wine are brought to the table. She leans forward, giddy. "Okay so." Her voice is a loud, stage whisper. "The Phantom Thieves have apparently been responsible for some high-profile people suddenly having a… what was it?"

"Change of heart," Naoto finishes. Her need for one drink has quickly turned into a need for four.

The idol nods. "Change of heart. Know the details?"

Yu waves his hand. "I've been more focused on school to be honest. A lot of my classmates had their swag though."

"Some of it is cute! But anyway, I was trying to make sense of how you get these massively bad people to just completely change their attitudes and it got me thinking about Shadows."

Naoto has heard all of this before, and as much as she likes to think Yu is simply appeasing Rise, the firm look of his brow has her second guessing. "You think they faced themselves?"

Rise nods and takes a bite of penne. "I mean, facing ourselves was pretty awful. Well maybe not for you, Yu, but for everyone else…well I really only saw Naoto, but I remember mine."

"I can confirm it was 'pretty awful'."

"Thanks, Naoto. And think about it. We didn't even do anything bad. What if you had to face the truth that your whole career was plagiarized or that you were some seedy politician or…"

"A serial killer." Yu is thoughtful. "Remember Adachi's letter? His confession?"

Naoto's mind snapped. How could she ever forget that? "Okay, I'll bite, Rise. Let us assume for a moment that the Phantom Thieves utilize Personas for their operations."

Rise nods vigorously, red-faced.

"They would then have to utilize the TV World for their operations as well."

"Well, yeah. We can't use our Personas in the real world."

"Then would they also be kidnapping these high-profile, corrupt individuals? I would imagine such individuals have elaborate security provisions and are already wary because of their criminal activities."

Yu starts to finally agree. "And wasn't the first instance that, uh, school? I always thought the first case was isolated. Just a bunch of high school kids."

Naoto agrees. "That is the common hypothesis."

"Yeah a bunch of high school kids with Personas." Rise lays her hands on the table. "I rest my case."

Naoto no longer knows what to think, if she were being completely honest. The Thieves case is…weird to put it lightly, and it's hard for her to push away the incident in Inaba. How had she gone about solving that case? Also being incredibly confused and not understanding anyone's motivations or methods. But she couldn't table all hard detective work and claim it was Personas every time things were a little complicated. That is the point of being a detective, after all.

Perhaps it is because she is beyond frustrated with her own case or perhaps it is Yu's support, but she nods before taking a bite of the white branzino on her plate. "We can look into it."

Rise jostles the table, practically jumping for joy. "Really?"

Yu shrugs. "We can always ask Teddie."

"Teddie?"

"To see if someone's been in the TV World recently."

Naoto's mind flickers again. "Rise has her glasses on now." She swallows, hesitant to follow through with this, but carefully removes a black case from her work bag. "And I have mine. We could go…"

There's a flurry. The idol raises her hand quickly, blonde wig hair flying as she flags down their waiter. "Check! Check, please!"

.

* * *

.

He smells like curry, which is markedly different than his normal smell of coffee. He lays his head on the pillow of his bed, his actual bed, but can't seem to get comfortable. Ren twists under his comforter, sits up and fluffs his pillow. He gets up and walks down all the way to the kitchen for a glass of water, and then returns to see a rather annoyed Morgana sitting idly on his bed.

"You know I have an early bedtime."

Ren absolutely knows that. He scratches his hair, guilty, and downs the rest of the glass. "Sorry, Morgana."

"Can't sleep?"

"Yeah."

"Is it Lady Ann?"

He waits, gauging the cat's face and expression before nodding. "A bit."

The black cat's tail whips back and forth. "I miss her as well. It must be even harder for you."

"That's…that's big of you. I can't say how grateful I am that…"

"How could I fault you for loving such a meowverlous girl? We've talked about this before, leader, but it's true. I'm… this. I know that now, and that's okay. I like being me, and if Lady Ann…if Ann ends up with someone, I'd want it to be someone like you."

Ren knows he hates it, but he sits down next to the cat and scratches his head. His hand is batted away quickly, and Ren recoils back a bit, laughing. "Really fishing for some fatty tuna, aren't ya?"

"Always. Go to sleep."

He's still anxious and scared as he lays back down. He feels like this whole last year, he has been constantly shuffled. Here to Tokyo to juvie to Tokyo to back here. He glances at the pile of books for the national exam and gets queasy. Now that the Thieves were over, he has to start thinking about pasting together the rest of a rather shattered life.

_You were acquitted._

He knows that. His fantastic friends had him acquitted. Record so clean that it squeaked.

_You have perfect scores on the last three exams and a really hot girlfriend._

He really shouldn't be so unsettled. His life, though ambiguous, is going significantly better than it was over a year ago. He knows he wants to move to Tokyo. He knows he is more powerful than he could ever even dream of (both here and in the now nonexistent Metaverse), but this unease still swarms him.

And then, it hits him. The dread and fear and foreboding…what if it's not about him?

Ren scrambles as he saw his phone light up. The vibration and ring are off, but he picks up the phone when the Caller ID flashed, exiting towards his private bathroom as to not disturb Morgana. "Makoto?"

"Hi, Ren. Sorry it's so late."

"It's no problem." He rubs at his eyes in the mirror. "What's up?"

"I, uh…I uh don't know how to say this."

Ren hates the worried nature of his friend's voice. It takes a lot to shake any Niijima. "Direct and straight. We'll deal with the reactions after the fact."

"Right, Ren…right. I was at dinner with my sister and…and I thought maybe I was just mishearing a rowdy table, but she confirmed it. They were talking about the Thieves."

That isn't so uncommon. It's becoming rarer now that the Thieves have put an end to their activities. He waits for Makoto to continue.

"Which is not too abnormal, I admit. Though our fame has decreased recently."

He smirks. He and Makoto are usually on the same wavelength. "Was it something they said?"

"Yes." She breathes hard. "Absolutely. One of them seemed to have an almost accurate description of our methods."

He thinks he mishears, or Makoto is exaggerating, but none of those things sound right. Ren leans on the bathroom counter. "How accurate?"

"Well, she…she mentioned Personas."

Ren drops his phone in the sink.

.

* * *

.

"When did this happen?"

"This morning. I noticed something was off with my structure at 8:57AM and attempted to call Orpheus."

Yukari feels herself shake. "And he…"

"He did not come when summoned. Athena was the only Persona accessible."

Her face fell into her hands. Yukari rubbed at her eyes, exhausted, confused. "What the hell does that mean?"

"I have several theories." Aigis pauses. "None of which I have shared before."

"You haven't had a lot of time to share to be fair, Aigis."

"But our mobile devices make sharing instantaneous. I have had plenty of opportunities to inform SEES."

_SEES._ Yukari's fingers drift over her coffee table, as if she's reaching for the word, trying to touch it, make sense of it. There is a weird foreboding when she thinks of SEES, and though things ended right, she is hesitant to bring her old teammates back into this at all. "Sorry, right, you have. What are your…" She wants to hit herself. Her sensing Makoto. Aigis losing her powers. "…You thought he was back?"

"I thought it could be one of many possibilities."

"He's dead." Her voice still hitches.

"So perhaps this person you met inherited his Wild Card abilities?"

That could be it. Yukari's whole body feels sore, and she realizes that she has somehow spilled tea on her scripts. Her eyes stray to her full-size bed, her white nightstand and the drawer with a silver case inside. "I need to cancel my meetings tomorrow. Are you okay sleeping on the couch?"

"Are we to be roommates once again?" The robot's eyes light up, and as deeply concerned and tired Yukari is, she can't help but grin at her friend.

"If you'd like."

The robot smiles grandly and reaches to pull Yukari into another hug, but the actress moves back. "Aigis, I imagine we don't have too much time until Mitsuru and Akihiko expect you back."

Blue eyes look down. "It's true. Both Mitsuru-san and Akihiko-san like reports of my whereabouts, ideally before I am about. Any idea where we can begin to look for the Wild Card?"

"Some idea." She gets up and walks to her purse and finds the autograph Rise Kujikawa had given her. Yukari glows at the easy excuse and quickly sends an email to her manager.

Maybe Risette wants to break into TV.

.

* * *

.

"You are…" Rise walks into his apartment, almost dazed. His exam books are stacked in a neat pile on the small, kitchen table. His couch cushions are perfectly stood up and aligned. She turns as she flips through a cookbook on an end table tabbed with notes and recipe edits. His hiragana is utterly refined. "…incredibly neat."

"You have kept it up well." Naoto removes her shoes and immediately walks to the flat screen TV, most likely sizing it up. "I remember when Kanji and I helped you moved in."

"I still owe you a dinner." University consumed his whole life for so long. And though he may not have maintained his romantic relationship with Yukiko, he can feel the solid bonds between his friends now, even years later.

Rise opens cabinets, drawers, and looks at the plates drying on his drainboard. "Like absurdly neat." She walks down the hall and switches on the light to his small bathroom. "How many hair products do you own?!"

Yu doesn't reply and instead starts pouring them all glasses of water. "My other glasses should be in my bedroom."

"Oh! I'll get them!"

His chest jerks back. He sets down his glass on a coaster and dashes to meet Rise towards the back of his apartment. The idol has already made her way into the bedroom, blonde wig forgotten on his floor. Rise lifts a pillow, flashes Yu a smile, and then moves to the ground to seemingly look under his mattress.

"Uh, need help with anything?"

"Nah, just curious." The idol stood up again and sat on his bed. "Surprising. No stash, huh?"

"Need a way to pass the time?"

Rise stiffens and shakes her head madly. Her shoulders hunch together, and she folds out her hands, gripping the navy bedspread underneath her. "You…you're really something, you know that?" The idol laughs a bit to herself and turns to face him. "I was just thinking about the TV World. I'm pretty sure I can get us out if we can't find Teddie. It won't be like when we went skiing."

He swallows at the memory. Yukiko had caught a slight cold that day, and Rise had somehow convinced him to go skiing with her alone. She had been… a lot to handle when he was seventeen—still is a lot to handle when he is twenty-three. But as he watches her easily take the black case from his nightstand and hand the glasses to him, the rumbling of an old crush seems to grip at his skin. "No katana, Senpai?"

"Raises too many questions. I'm only renting this place. We'll have to rely on our Personas and Naoto's gun."

She nods. "I know we'll be fine."

"Rise?"

Her head cocks to the side, and she is analyzing him. It's what she does, after all, and she carefully moves closer to him and lays a hand on his forehead. "Have you been sleeping well?"

The hand is soft, warm, and Yu moves it to be on his chest. He catches her exhale, notices the red start to bubble and spread across her cheeks. Eye contact is hopeless at this point, but Yu still feels the need to tell her. "I've missed you."

"Naoto is waiting, you know." Rise doesn't take her hand away, but she is still creating space. Her red-brown hair sticks to her forehead, sweat crowning her hairline. "And I know I joke and everything Yu, but I can't do this again. Do you understand?"

He stares at the now frazzled girl. "Uh no?"

"Let's just focus on our mission, okay? It's almost midnight."

Yu agrees, not exactly sure where that conversation was leading them anyway. Naoto sits on his couch, seemingly texting on her cellphone. Her face is cool, emotionless, but she only looks at Rise. "Is everything fine?"

"Yes! We found the glasses. Let's get to it!"

Yu stands in front of his wall mounted TV and, unflinching, places his hand through the screen. The feeling is weird, fuzzy yet slick, as if he were covering his arm in warm, bubbling oil. "Everyone ready?" It is something he will never get used to.

"Rise, you're sure you can find a way out if we can't find Teddie?"

"Definitely. We may end up back in Inaba's Junes, but we'll be out."

Something on Naoto's face implies that she wouldn't actually mine that. Yu does not wait any longer and pushes his body through the TV. The feeling is a head rush. A full-frontal assault on his whole body. The static seems to pour through him until he falls, butt first, on a yellow floor.

There's a high-pitched yell before Rise falls in front of him, and then Naoto comes crashing behind. Yu stands first, brushing off his dark jeans. "Everyone okay?"

"Yeah, yeah…ouch. Did it always hurt like this?"

"Unfortunately." Naoto re-holsters her gun and pushes the glasses over her face. "This is strange."

"Hm? How so Naoto?" Rise is settling herself as well, stretching and most likely trying to get Kouzeon ready.

"There's not a lot of fog."

It is something Yu notices almost immediately. His glasses are useless here, the bright yellow air of the TV World seeming so airy that he can see signs of Maru Q and a laboratory deep in the distance.

"Uh, didn't it go away when we defeated Izanami?" Rise offers.

"Yes, but this isn't the world we left either. It's almost like before."

"Teddie would have warned us though, right?" Rise's voice quakes. "If something changes here, he would know."

Yu is uneasy. His fingers flex and grip at the air, and he really misses his katana. "Rise, can you scan the area?"

The idol nods and a blue card appears in front of her. With a large crack, the Lovers tarot shatters and Kouzeon appears in a blue light behind her. "That was easier than I thought it would be." She turns and waves to Kouzeon. "Alright, let's…wait who's that?"

Naoto is already turning, handgun aimed. There is a woman there, draped in blue, hair up and perfect as she stands with her arms crossed. Yu gestures for Naoto to lower her gun, and Kouzeon also disappears. The woman is standing next to a simple, glowing door, and Yu flinches at the looks on his teammates' faces. "You, uh, you can see that?"

"Um yeah. How could we miss it?"

"Wouldn't be the first time."

Naoto gives him a puzzling stare. "Excuse me?"

"Never mind. This is Margaret." He walks up to the Velvet Room attendant, her usual smile absent. Yu fumbles for his pocket and almost curses when he remembers the Velvet Key is still in his apartment. "Did you come out to let me in?"

Her face is pointed, and she glances back to Rise and Naoto with almost relief. "I am glad to see your bonds have not been broken."

"I am too. Does Igor need to…"

Her hand pushes back his own as he reaches for the blue doorknob. "Please do not go inside."

"Huh?"

Her perfect face looks strained, almost broken. Her long fingernails are squeezing into his hand. "Please just go back to your world. Don't open this door."

As she says it, he notices how strange this door is. It is too plain; missing the elaborate woodwork and curls he is more accustomed to. And as he approaches, he has the aching feeling that the other side does not lead to any sort of vehicle. "What's going on?"

His teammates shuffle closer to him. Naoto's hand is on her gun. Rise squirms, uncomfortable. "She's right, Yu. Something's wrong here. We…we can't handle it."

"No, you can't. It's midnight. I have to go." The plain door opens easily as she walks in front of it, and Margaret vanishes in the almost blinding doorway light.

Yu is flabbergasted. This has never happened before, and he can't imagine what could unnerve Margaret so. Rise grabs his right hand with both of hers, and he feels her tug him away and back from the blue door. "Let's go, Yu. Please."

"Wait, over there!" Naoto points to a deep area in the fog. A large, dark form is approaching them quickly, too quickly, and all three of them start running. "Rise! Which way?!"

"I…I think…ah! It's that way! Towards the Shadow!"

They pause and consider the option of turning around and sprinting, of fighting whatever beast is approaching them, but before they can even decide on a plan, a blue, round figure is pummeling Yu to the ground. Yu huffs as his back slams against the TV World's floor and tries to push the Shadow off his now crushed body. The Shadow is unrelenting, gripping him hard, burning his whole body into the ground while he was…crying?

"Sensei! Sensei! You came!"

Rise stands over them both. "Oh! Teddie!"

"Rise-chan! Naoto-chan! Oh, thank goodness. We all have to hurry! Something _unbearable_ is happening!"


	3. Passage

Makoto's news paired with the quaking feeling in his gut have him up and out of his parent's house almost immediately.

He leaves Morgana asleep. There is really nothing they can do now, but he promises Makoto that he'll be on the first train back to Tokyo tomorrow. Ren paces the street at night. It's an old, bad habit. The last time he has done this here, he was sent on probation. _Or stopped someone from being assaulted._

Yeah, that sounds better.

His head wraps around the information Makoto relayed. There were three people—one with yellow hair, one with silver, and one with blue. They were drunk and discussing the Phantom Thief case. Nothing unusual, though one of them Sae had recognized. _Must be connected to the courts._ Ren tries to bite back the overall disdain he has for the law and goes back to the facts.

They were discussing the Phantom Thieves. The blonde girl in glasses had mentioned Personas, and not in the Jungian way. _How would they know?_

The air is cold and thick with fog. Ren stuffs his hands in his pockets and tries to clear his head.

There is no way they could know. No possible explanation unless they had experience with Personas themselves. _Akechi did._ It is still hard for him to realize sometimes. _Akechi had that power before any of us._

Ren stops at the thought and leans on the corner of a convenience store. The glass is cold, rigid against the thin long-sleeved shirt he wore to bed. It's almost midnight. His brain is humming, and he can feel his skin start to perspire from sheer stress. _Fuck._ He's out, but all his friends are still in Tokyo. All of his friends are somehow linked to their targets, and Futaba has recorded evidence of them discussing their heists. _She needs to get rid of those._ But Ren knows she never will, not unless he offers her something significant in return.

_"Are you willing to do this?"_

He straightens his back against the wall. That voice is not his own. It is feminine—familiar in tone and inflection but not in actual sound. Instinctively, Ren looks at his cellphone. The MetaNav is back and pulsing, just asking to be touched. _But the Metaverse is gone._

He is unarmed and feels naked even though they were just model weapons. Ren moves from his location. He continues to walk down the street and towards the voice. The streets are abandoned, glowing with condensation. The yellow moon is impossibly large, a perfect circle, and the sight, although once beautiful to Ren, can now only be described as haunting. The world itself is haunting, alight in a sickly green glow, that same wet condensation now a stark red, as if the streets were mopped with blood.

And then, in the puddle of blood at his feet is a simple, brass key. He kneels down to pick it up, cringing as the viscous feel and metallic twang that seeps onto his hands. He doesn't mean to speak, but it comes out anyway, low, harsh. "What the fuck is this?"

He should call the Thieves or at least call Morgana somehow, but his feet just carry him forward. He slips the key into his sweatpants' pocket and then shakes. It is almost crushingly cold.

_"Is he ready to face Death?"_

"Lavenza?" The name slips out of him, and he half expects a blue butterfly to approach him. But there is nothing. No Shadows. No iron-barred door. Just the moon, aloft and so, so big, Ren worried it might fall.

_"He's not…no. But that's the whole point, isn't it? His fate is different."_

_"He has no fate."_

_"He changes fate. Were any of you listening?"_

_"Psh, Caroline, is that you?"_

_"…that's not fair. That wasn't my fault."_

_"Silence. I'm getting a headache."_

_"Where is yours anyway?"_

_"Well… this _is_ truly an unjust game."_

The green fades from an alleyway, replaced by the rich, sapphire blue of the Velvet Room. Ren immediately walks towards the blue light, ready to finally speak to Lavenza, only to find a glowing door much different than his familiar jail cell. It opens before he can even reach for the doorknob.

He is surprised to see several things, the first being that he is in no prison. He knows that the Velvet Room is a reflection of his own heart, and though he was no longer locked to his own fate after Yaldoboath, he had always been in a cell.

This room is simpler. A blue couch. A table with a blue tablecloth. A wooden chair. And it is…is it _moving_?

There is a woman there. She has pure white hair cut in a bob with a blue hat on her head. Her arms are covered with the same colored blue gloves, and she cradles a large book in her hands. A compendium.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room." She does not move from her position next to the empty couch.

His body goes immediately rigid. "Where's Igor?"

"I am Elizabeth." She gestures to the wooden chair in front of Joker. "Please sit."

"Nah, I'm okay." Joker watches her bristle at his refusal, his clear distrust. He hedges. "I'm used to standing in these situations."

"You are not a new guest here. I know that quite well." She saunters more than walks towards him, placing the book on the table. Joker notices for the first time a stacked deck of blue cards. "Satanael is impressive."

"I think so."

"But still." Elizabeth's yellow eyes are heavily focused on his face. "You aren't my first choice. Why the mask?"

He jerks back, realizing that he was in his thief's outfit. He flexes his hand, loosening the red gloves before searching his belt for his model gun. Its presence surprises him. "I don't really like attention."

Elizabeth laughs, and it is not scary or malicious. Perhaps maniacal, but she does it in such a loose, carefree way that it almost relaxes Joker. "What a liar you are. Oh! Why do humans do that? _Mine_ never lied!" She nearly keels over, and Joker wonders briefly if he should move to help her. He remains motionless, hand gripped on Nataraja. Elizabeth eventually calms herself, standing straighter before reaching under his trench.

She is lightening quick, and Joker scowls as she takes the model gun from his hand, looking at Nataraja like someone looks at roadkill. "Poor Metraton. How brutal. Lavenza is a sadist, isn't she?" Something seems to startle her. "Oh no. This is _your_ doing. How bizarre. Maybe you are perfect for this."

"For what?"

"A request." She says idly, still holding his gun. "If you wish to accept it."

"Do I have a choice?"

"Everyone has a choice." This seems to irk her. "I thought you would know that best of all."

"Can I know the details then?"

Elizabeth shrugs. "You can know the important ones. Will that help you make a decision?"

"…Yes?"

Another shrug. Elizabeth turns to sit on the blue couch and gestures again for Joker to take a seat across from her. This time he follows. Her hands graze the stacked deck of cards and she looks up, expectantly. "Can I do a reading?"

"I don't really believe…"

"It's not yours." She shuffles the deck quickly. "We will do a simple one—a three-card spread."

He nods in acknowledgment. His time with Chihaya has taught him a bit about tarot. Elizabeth draws the top three cards, not facing him or her but Joker's right. "Who is this for?"

She ignores him and flips the first card over. It's one of the most familiar to him, though the image is blue and lighthearted. "The World. Major changes and end to a cycle. Completion and…and success in your journey." There is a sadness in her voice, and Joker moves to comment on it. Elizabeth's yellow eyes flash to him, glassy, before she composes herself.

Her hand flips the next one. This time the card flashes, and it is even more familiar. "Death. Combined with the World it means the absolute end. There are no more…"

"It's not Death." Joker blinks. The card to him is as clear as day. He would recognize it anywhere, despite the differences in the deck.

He expects Elizabeth to be annoyed at his interruption, but she looks at him again, surprised. "Combined with the World, the _Fool_ means venturing on another journey. How…how interesting. That is not the normal combination."

"Excuse me?"

She raises a hand and flips the last card. The card flashes. "Judgement." She lifts the card to her face. "Wait…what?"

"You're right." Joker thinks she may be doubting herself. "Judgement. Isn't that good?"

"Unbelievable." Elizabeth lays the card flat next to the others. Joker has to crane his neck in order to get a proper view. "…I must…I must implore you now. Please accept my request. I would…I would do anything."

She's grasping his hands, desperation nearly eating away at her. It's unnerving. The Twin Wardens and Lavenza had never shown this level of emotion, and before Joker can properly evaluate whether he can trust Elizabeth or not, he finds himself nodding.

The tears actually fall then, and Elizabeth is quick to wipe them away. "Thank you. Thank you, Ren. Here…I'll give you a gift." She moves Nataraja so that it is facing him on the table and pulls out what seems to be a glowing, crystalline feather. She presses it fully into his gun, and the fake weapon radiates with a surprisingly cold heat. "Please use this when the time is right." She pushes the gun towards him. "The door will be from whence you came."

He almost feels like yelling at her—that was his favorite gun—but the attendant already looks entirely shattered. Joker nods and sits up from his chair. "Will I…will I understand what to do?"

Her eyes glance at the three-card spread. "You better."

.

* * *

.

"Teddie…Teddie, slow down. You're not making sense. Tell us what happened." Yu hugs the bear close to his chest. It seems to be the only thing that calms him.

"Sensei! None of this makes sense. I was just doing a beary good job exploring my home today, and then I got hungry."

Yu blinks. "Okay."

"And what I really wanted was to go get Topsicles at Junes!"

"So, you went?"

"I did, but when I got back this place was completely different. Some of the fog was back and the whole world was green!"

"Green?" Naoto kneels so that she is eye-level with both Yu and Teddie. "Did you notice anyone here, Teddie?"

"No. I couldn't smell anyone except for the Shadows. And they seemed to be acting up again! Though they have been acting weirdly this whole year."

Yu finally manages to pull himself away from Teddie, much to the bear's chagrin. He sits cross-legged on the floor and tries to steady his head. "How so?"

"Well after the fog was lifted, they were calm and even nice to Teddie. Some of them started to change shape into their true selves."

Rise quirked. "True selves?"

"Personas," Teddie remarks. "Well at least they looked like them. They didn't really act like…"

"Teddie." It feels strange to him, but Yu cannot shake the feeling of being incredibly rushed. He stands quickly and jostles for his cellphone. Although he has absolutely no service, the clock is still electronically ticking. _It's still 12:00?_ "Tell us quickly."

"Of course, Sensei. The Shadows left this world back around Christmas…like they were being summoned, and then when they came back here, they were like old Shadows again."

_Summoned?_ Yu feels his Adam's apple catch in his throat, almost choking him. There's another crack, and he turns to look back at Rise—Kouzeon by her side again. "…there's something over there. It's…it's…what is this?"

"Oh! You mean the door?" Teddie stands up excitedly. "I forgot about that one. That was the strangest smell."

"We should look at it," Yu says immediately.

Rise shakes her head. "I don't…I don't…"

"We're not prepared for this, Yu. You're not properly equipped, and we usually stagger our teams in 4, not counting Rise. I can get Kanji…"

"We don't have time to get Kanji, Naoto. Rise?" He turns to the idol, who's hands are still locked together. Her face is pale, sweating, and the glazed look that envelops her fades as she focuses back on Yu. He knows she doesn't want to, that both Naoto and Teddie would also disagree with this decision. Yu walks over to the idol and places both hands on her shoulders. She tries to look away from him, but Yu lifts her chin. "Rise, please tell me where the door is."

"Senpai…" She bites her lip, and though her body is stolid, unmoving, her voice relents. "It's…it's close. Follow me."

It is still midnight when they see the door, and Yu is surprised by how unassuming it looks. It is austere, unbuttressed by walls of any sort. A free-standing gateway much like the Velvet Room. His teammates flank him, and he flinches as one of them grabs his arm, surprised that it is Naoto out of all of them. "Do you know what this is?"

No, he doesn't. Not really. The only adornment is a plaque with kanji and a small symbol underneath. The circle rings something familiar in his memory. _Is that…Port Island?_

"Yuki Makoto." Rise looks to the detective. "Who's that?"

No one can even start to answer. Yu reaches for the knob, pulling at it harshly. "It's locked."

"Ah, well. Too bad, Sensei. How about Teddie leads everyone back? Maybe the food court is still…."

There's the sound of metal on metal and then a slight click. The door slowly sways open, and the half of the Investigation Team, stiffens, air leaving their bodies in sudden shock. And unlike the Velvet Room, this door reveals nothing. It sways as if in a light wind, the gateway shrouded in devouring black. The hair on his arms are stiff straight, and everyone around him has stopped breathing. Yu nods his head, confirming what everyone is most likely begging him not to do. "I'll go first." It's a second before he finds he's able to move again, and when he finally walks through the frame, the wooden door slams shut behind him, locking him in.


	4. Crossroads

Yukari realizes that she has no chance of sleeping. It is 12:01, and she's almost disappointed that the world does not go green and bloody. The thought has her laugh. _What are you thinking? We did good. Makoto did the best of us all. _His sacrifice was not in vain, not even a little bit. Isn't she done questioning that?

Aigis has moved from the couch and is next to her on the queen-sized bed. The robot can't sleep, _doesn't_ sleep, and Yukari is met immediately by her face. "Yukari-san, it is seven hours and nine minutes before sunrise. You should try and optimize the time you are dormant."

She rubs at her eyes. "I can't sleep."

"Makoto-san had the same problem. May I suggest drinking decaffeinated tea or playing a Massively Multiplayer Online Game?"

"A—a what? Never mind, uh, I think tea is a good idea." Her apartment is cold. She slips on pink, fuzzy slippers as she climbs out of the bed and starts the electric kettle. She unlocks her phone and flips through the texts and missed calls from Satoshi. Her manager is pissed at her for the cancellations and confused at the sudden interest in Risette. She only bothers to read one text:

**_Satoshi: _**_I'm good friends with Inoue. He's promised me lunch. Nagoya King. 12PM SHARP._

She could do that. She could stir enough energy to meet with Kujikawa in 12 hours. _And say what exactly? _That was a big question. _I could tell her we need a man who looks like Yu for Featherman. It would be a great opportunity, and I would set up a meeting? _

But what if Rise says no? Then what? It would be too forceful to ask to meet him anyway. And why would she, an actress, be recruiting Yu-san anyway?

"Your kettle has been going off. Have you changed your mind about the tea?"

Yukari jumps from Aigis' touch on her shoulder. The electric kettle makes no noise, and she picks it up, ready to pour tea into a mug that is not prepared. "I'm distracted."

"Allow me to help you." Aigis navigates the apartment with ease and quickly locates a ceramic cup and a package of matcha. The robot takes the kettle from her and pours the hot water. "You appear to not have any decaffeinated tea. Green tea has less caffeine per milligram than black tea, however. I hope this is alright."

"Aigis?"

"Is it not alright?"

"It's perfect. Thank you. I have a meeting tomorrow with Risette."

Aigis sets the cup on her small, circular kitchen table. "The pop music idol who knows the Wild Card?"

Yukari nods. "Any idea how I…how do I…"

"Bring up the Wild Card? Why not just ask her?"

Well, that is an idea. Yukari is not sure how _smart_ of an idea that is, but she hesitates to question Aigis.

Aigis gestures for Yukari to drink and then says, "The worst possible outcome is she does not know what we are talking about and potentially has a negative opinion about you. I think that is small in comparison to her helping us find the Wild Card." Aigis sits down. "Have you also considered the possibility of her being a Persona user as well?"

…_Risette? _"Can't say I have."

.

* * *

.

She tries again and summons Kouzeon, but her Persona senses nothing.

No. That's a lie. Kouzeon senses something chilling and powerful, and Rise almost breaks the connection away at the sudden force of it all. Naoto and Teddie are already anxious. They are unprepared and shaken that Yu has just vanished, and she's hesitant to tell them about this…this power when she isn't even sure what it is.

"Rise-chan?"

"I don't know…" She breaks her concentration and Kouzeon vanishes with a flash of blue light. "I don't know where Yu is." The words scare her, almost crack her. She feels fifteen again. She feels aimless and lost and so, so scared for this man that she hasn't seen for years.

"The Shadows are getting restless. Can't you smell it?"

Naoto flinches at Teddie's words. The detective looks at the simple wooden doorway but there is nothing. "How long can we wait for?"

"We have to wait." Rise's response is immediate.

Naoto bristles. "We have to set a limit, Rise. Time in the TV World is draining."

Teddie rocks back and forth. "And the Shadows…"

"An hour at least." She wanted to say three. "We have to give it that."

"Rise-chan, we can't fight them _all _by ourselves."

"All?" Naoto seems afraid of her own question. The dark-haired girl approaches Rise. "How many is _all_?"

She bites her lip, hesitant to answer, but the Lovers card is floating in front of her again and breaking. The red visor wraps around her head, and the Shadow World illuminates in front of her. "Teddie, they're gathering here…towards that power."

Naoto is still in front of her. "_What_ _power_?"

"It's…it's terrifying, but incomplete? Are they…are they trying to…" Rise breaks her connection from Kouzeon. Her friends are fear-stricken. Teddie is holding his nose, and Naoto's hand is on her gun. "We can't leave Yu."

There are only a few seconds between Rise's words and the black horde of Shadows breaking the yellow landscape. The fog is muted, a thin haze, and all of them can see clearly the thousands, maybe millions, of beasts scrambling towards them.

"Rise! We have to go!" Naoto drags her. Her nails break skin, and Rise winces from the pain.

The idol doesn't want to move. They can't…they couldn't just abandon Yu but staying here would be certain death. She relents under Naoto's hold and follows. "We have to come back though. We have to come back for him!"

"This way! This way!" Teddie is already sprinting ahead, but Naoto nods and practically pushes Rise towards the sudden tower of televisions.

"Where are we going?" Rise manages to find her pace again. The thin fog is lifting more and more.

Teddie turns, running backwards. "Where else? Junes!"

.

* * *

.

The gun is now in his sweatpants' pocket after he leaves the Velvet Room. Ren takes it out to examine it more. It…it doesn't look any different except for the fact that it's…real? The weird glow is gone, and the Velvet Room has also vanished, replaced with something a lot less, well, blue.

This door is also simple, brown and wooden, nothing out of ordinary except for a metal plaque with a name. _Yuki Makoto? _His thoughts flash to Mishima briefly, but Yuki seemed to be this guy's (_or is it girl's?) _last name. He reaches for the doorknob and pauses. The bloody key in his pocket is burning, and Ren grabs it and fits it into the wooden door. Ren pushes the door open only to reveal black.

He has never felt this afraid before. Not when he was drugged and beaten in a police station. Not when he was staring God in the face. This fear is palpable, chilling, and Ren is even more terrified to see his thief outfit is absent. _Maybe I'm not a threat. _He reaches for his phone. The MetaNav isn't active, and his heart completely sinks.

Ren has nothing but a maybe real gun, and as he stares at the cavern in front of him, he knows that it is nowhere near enough.

It's impossible to miss, and as much as he wants to ponder why this simple door led to a massive gold one with eyes, he is more incredibly drawn by the blue-haired boy in front of it. He looks about Ren's age or…he did. Ren is almost certain that this boy is dead.

He is pale, stiff, as if he had fallen and cracked from stone. His body is pulled within its limits, legs and arms and torso wrapped in what look like barbed wire, white shirt and black pants loose and ripped. The golden door is cracked, no more than a sliver open, and Ren takes a step closer.

_"Get away…"_

He fidgets. There is a darkness here, and he's suddenly grateful for finishing "The Running Dead" last month. Ren takes another step forward and the voice ricochets.

_"Get out of here!"_

The bang of the door behind him has him jumping. Ren pulls the gun forward, cocking the hammer before aiming it at the figure behind him. _It's a man_. Ren swallows. The man does not seem bothered by the loaded gun, but his eyes widen at the sight of the door and boy in front of him. Ren tries to keep his voice steady. "Who are you?"

The silver-haired man glances around him, taking in the gold door and dead body. Ren realizes how this must look, that he is a teenage boy in his pajamas and this is absolutely _bizarre. _He lowers the gun slightly. "My name is…Joker."

"Yu Narukami." Narukami pushes the glasses up his nose, and Ren almost winces at how easily he gives his supposedly real name. "There's no need for that."

"How did you get here?!"

"A door in the T…" Narukami pauses, body becoming stiffer. "How did you get here?"

"A door and…this." He pulls the bloody key and shows it to the silver—

Wait.

Could this be the man talking about the Phantom Thieves? The one Makoto had mentioned discussing the case with a detective and who knew about Personas? After all, he is here and not nearly as bothered as he should be by all of this. The man named Yu looks at the key suspiciously and walks forward. He stops, face darkening, and Ren wonders if he heard the same voice as before. "…Where are we?"

"Don't know." Ren is hesitant to discuss any more. The tarot. Elizabeth's request. He jerks his head towards the golden door, sarcasm slipping. "Think this guy can use a little help?"

"Isn't he dead?" Narukami approaches him so that they are side by side. His glasses seem to fog too easily, and he removes them, wipes them on the sleeve of his white button-down shirt. They look odd somehow, and Ren thought of the fashion glasses he wore back in Tokyo. Narukami replaces them over grey eyes. "Wait, he isn't."

"Isn't..."

"Dead." The older man is rushing towards the boy, seeming to completely forget about the gun, and as Ren starts to follow, the same voice is _screaming._

He does not let go of Nataraja, but his body relaxes only in the way that makes it adaptable, reactive. Narukami, though on face-value ordinary, is incredibly gutsy. If Yu had heard the voice before, he is not responding to it now as he stands in front of the blue-haired boy. "There's something here…a lock?"

Ren blinks. He sees nothing, and he is still entirely sure the blue-haired boy is dead. He places his hands on his temple, activating his third eye. The cavernous chamber of a room is duller, darker besides the flash of blue rotating above Narukami's head. The sight of the card knocks the wind out of him.

_The World._

"Who _are_ you?"

Narukami seems annoyed by this, but Ren is too distracted by the other card spinning wildly above the dead boy's head. And though he is used to this by now, of seeing the arcana above his friends and confidants in the real world, he has never seen this before—a card that is completely blank.

Narukami shakes his head in distaste and focuses back on the dead boy. His hands are fumbling through his pockets, and Ren is surprised to see what looks like a can of Orange Smash. "All I had on me." Narukami flicks the tab open and holds the neck of the boy up. He pauses and looks back to Ren, sternly. "Are you just gonna stand there?"

Ren shakes his head. He is still stunned a bit—he has never met anyone with the same arcana as him—and he squats, taking stock of the cold body. "I don't think this will work."

"Just hold his head."

"You need to massage his throat at least." Ren thinks of Takemi.

"I know that."

"And you need something stronger."

"I don't have anything else."

Ren moistens his lips. He could try it. It may sound crazy, but he could try it. "No bead?"

Narukami stops his motion to pour. "What?"

"Or soma?"

It looks as if he might drop the can of soda. But Narukami is restrained. He places the can down and runs a hand through what Joker could only define as a bowl cut. "Who are _you_?"

"A trickster? No? That, uh…that doesn't mean anything to you?"

Narukami narrows his eyes. "You're joking with me? Now? Here?"

Ren takes the can in his stead and touches the boy's neck. He is cold, limp, decidedly dead, and Ren fidgets at the feel of the almost slime skin. But he knows, if anything, how to put on a show. The Orange Smash is poured slowly—he wants to get the angle right—and as the first drop of soda falls onto the pale blue lips, Ren crashes back, the sudden noise overwhelming. _"STOP!"_

Narukami is by his side, ignoring the sticky orange liquid, and helping Ren sit up. "Are you okay? Did you…did you hear that?"

"What the fuck is that?"

"Something powerful. Can you sense it?"

Narukami is apparently asking a loaded question. Ren lets loose his third eye again, but he senses nothing. Arcana, maybe, but power? That was an ability left for the Metaverse. It is feeling more than thought that has him pointing to the door. Narumaki nods in agreement and also at the lifeless body. "We should untangle him first."

It is painstaking. The barbed wire is fierce and everywhere, and he has to wonder how this dead boy's skin is unmarred. He pricks himself half a dozen times before Narukami unbuttons his shirt and rips the sleeves clean off. He's wearing a white undershirt beneath it, but Ren is still taken aback by the action. "Wrap your hands."

This is something only a fighter would know, someone who ran out of somas and beads, and _Orange Smashes_, and he wonders briefly what the hell this man has seen. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

They untangle the dead boy in silence. Neither move to speak as they make more and more progress, and, for all of Ren's acerbity, he finds this…familiar. There are too many times when he falls into his own head or just sits and observes, and he thinks, maybe, that Narukami could be the same.

"Almost done here." Ren breaks the silence first. The blue-haired boy is now half-dangling, his body laid gently on the ground as Narukami unweaves an arm. Ren moves completely to the ground and attempts to move his legs but finds the wire frozen. "This is strange."

"It's the lock. It must be holding him down."

That…that sounds wrong. Narukami must notice his hesitation. Kneeling, he takes the glasses from his head and hands them to Ren. "Take a look."

The offer is weird, but Ren has seen weirder. This entire situation _is_ weirder, so he takes the glasses and places them over his eyes. He expects to see nothing or, at the most, what his third eye reveals, but the lenses instead reveal golden threads tangling across the blue-haired boy's body. They coil around him, almost suffocating to look at, a metallic cocoon webbing to what looks like a padlock on the ground.

"Do you have any lockpicks?"

"Lockpicks?"

Ren waves the thought off and removes the gun from his pocket.

"Wait, Joker. We don't know…"

There is a _crack_ and then a hard recoil from Nataraja but nothing else. The sound was loud and full, the movement heavy like a real gun but no bullet. No damage. No _weapon_. He practically grinds his teeth. "This was my best gun."

"_Best?_" Narukami is pale at the implication. "Aren't you like…sixteen?"

"Seventeen." Ren stands and creates space between him and the dead boy. Narukami's glasses are sliding down his nose, and he pulls the trigger again and again and again.

Noise and _nothing._

"Motherfucker."

_"Shall I help you?"_

Ren drops the gun, and Narukami is backing away from the golden door and the dead boy at this new presence. It bleeds through them, acid-like, painful in its tone and words and breath.

_"I can help you."_

He looks to Narukami for permission, strangely. Yu takes that as direction to speak. "Who are you?"

_"I am Death."_

Ren thinks of Takemi a second time, and Yu seems equally distracted, light-hearted. The silver-haired man shakes his head. "I met Death before. Her name is Hisano."

_"Fools. You both _are_ Fools. If you want to save him, you must face me."_

The thoughts click together, memories sewing. Lavenza had said the same thing, hadn't she? He has never faced Death before, not like this, not in the way that this being is implying and begging for them to do. Narukami may have. He seems more encouraged to go the literal way about it, but Ren has no experience in beating Death.

Just _cheating _it.

"It's not a real gun," Ren mutters mostly to himself, and Nataraja is in his hands again, throttle back. He places the muzzle against his forehead, and now there are two people screaming at him as his finger slips over the trigger.

"Stop!"

_"You can't!"_

It is nothing but recoil and slicing, and then there is something igniting in him, something familiar and terrifying and his body is scared but opting _to fight_. There is release as his head rocks back, Narukami's glasses flying off his head so harshly he's afraid they may shatter. But then there is the deep exhale from the man now next to him and the haunting orchestra of two beings screaming and…and laughing.

Satanael is with him. He is here in the complete real world, and Ren is almost overwhelmed by the power. It's draining every part of him, his body attached, at one with the devil, and he knows there is only one move available to him. Gun raised, he aims the barrel to where the blue boy lay, lock at his feet.

"Stay down." He's talking to Yu, and his Persona takes this as the cue to fire. The shell is magnificent, blind-white and all consuming, and he is only half-worried that the boy's body will be decimated once this is all over.

Chaos shatters against gold, pure and solid, and then withering, fragile. The tethers wrapping around the boy shirk away, receding, and the boy is rolling on the ground, panting, muttering, _dying. _

Ren collapses to the ground. Satanael has depleted him, and he can barely move an inch as he watches the blue-haired boy absolutely _writhe._

"Fuck. Give me that."

He flinches at Narukami cursing, but then he is in his face, shaking him. "Joker, give me the gun."

His body does it for him, completely collapsing. The gun slides towards Yu, and he fires it instantly under his chin.

There is a smaller blue light emanating, and Ren almost smiles at the sight of Ishtar appearing behind Narukami. The goddess floats above them all, winking briefly at Ren before casting what could only be Mediarahan. It does nothing for Ren—his exhaustion is of a different brand—but the blue-haired boy stops moving. His body is flat on the ground, face peering upwards, his chest heaving and falling as if he has forgotten how to breathe.

Narukami offers Ren a hand, and he takes it, stammering to his feet and still feeling weirdly ridiculous for calling his Persona in his pajamas. They paddle over to the boy. He is still pale, still slick with what could only be sweat and exhaustion, but he is alive. His blue eyes catch them both as they hover over him. "You…" His voice is raspy, cracking even after the full heal. "You both…did you free me?"

Ren nods. He mimics Narukami and squats down, offering a hand to the boy. "Yes. You're saved."

"Saved?" The word seems to baffle him. He rubs at his eyes, his nose. His hand falls to his chest, and he seems to panic, as if something important is missing. After a moment, the boy pushes the thought away, exhaling. "You defeated Nyx?"

Ren's fingers recoil. "Nyx?"

"Erebus? Did you? You…" The blue-haired boy moves slowly, effortlessly. He kneels to be perfectly in-line with Ren. "You must have. You…_didn't_?"

"I, uh. I didn't…maybe he did? Did you?"

Narukami only shakes his head.

The blue-haired boy goes rigid. His hands flatten on the ground and then he starts clawing at the stone, eyes tearing.

"Hey…" Ren doesn't know what to say. "Hey, you're free. Everything will be ok…"

There is so much speed and force, that Ren does not even realize he was punched until he is headfirst on the ground, cradling his cheek. The pain is fire and strength, and, mostly, disbelief. The blue-haired boy is standing over him, face cool, even. "You have no idea what you just did."

All the venom is in his words.


End file.
